Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Delayed Again

At this point, it's uncertain what America will see first: the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV or Star Wars: Episode IX.

As En Vogue once famously sang: “No, you’re never gonna get it/never, never gonna get it.”

Chinese Democracy. Duke Nukem Forever. The Watchmen film. At this point, it’s probably safe to say that the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV can join the pantheon of things that spent a ridiculous amount of time in development hell.

Whether it will be able to join those three examples in the pantheon of “things that finally emerged from development hell and disappointed everybody” or if it will sidle up alongside Team Fortress 2 and Iron Man as examples of “things that were well worth the wait” will largely depend on when (or if) the batteries start cooperating.

Automotive Newsreports that the need to equip vehicles with a battery-monitoring unit will delay the launch of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in the United States until late 2015 or early 2016. California regulations strongly encourage all new plug-in hybrids to utilize the battery-monitoring technology to ward off potential degradation of the lithium-ion battery.

Battery degradation would not only create potentially harmful emissions, but it would also likely reduce the effectiveness of the vehicle.

“If a plug-in hybrid battery pack loses usable capacity, then the driver will get fewer electric miles per charge,” Tom Saxton, chief science officer at Plug In America, told AutoBlog. “For drives that exceed the reduced electric-range of the vehicle, more emissions will result. That same is true of a conventional (non plug-in) hybrid.”

Mitsubishi plans for global sales of the Outlander PHEV—already available in Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand—to double the total from the 2013 fiscal year.

With any luck, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will arrive in America well before Ghostbusters III hits theaters in 4D, Detox hits FacebookGoogleTunes, and Half-Life 3is available for XboxTwo, PS5, and Steamtendo in the year 20XX.

Gallery: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (because it’s not like you’ll be seeing one stateside any time soon)

The Outlander PHEV was named Best Alternative Fuel Vehicle by Diesel Car

The Outlander PHEV won “Best Green Development” in the annual Techie Awards

The Mitsubishi Plug-In Commercial Vehicle (aka an Outlander PHEV minus a couple of seats) will debut at CENEX 2014